Women in Science and Engineering at Yale (2020 Edition)

Ellen Thomas, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences

Ellen Thomas holding 3D-printed models of shells of two foraminifera. Photo credit: Olivia Drake

Ellen Thomas investigates the impact of changes in environment and climate on living organisms on various time scales, from millions of years to decades, with a focus on benthic foraminifera (eukaryotic unicellular organisms). She studies their assemblages, as well as trace element and stable isotopic composition of their shells, from the deep sea floor using samples from the International Ocean Discovery Program. She is working on 3D pictures and models as well as 3D print-files of Foraminifera available online with collaborators at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and at the University of Bristol in the U.K. She became a Fellow of the Geological Society of America in 2019.